I hope so I cannot remember 
Yeah, it was the big title giveaway last Christmas. You must remember all the drama about it because they initially gave the Directors Cut version away and some managed to grab that before the error was noticed. They changed it to just the base edition after that.
They also had it free again as one of the weekly giveaways about a month or so later, if memory serves.
1 Like
Coming to Game Pass
15 August - 5 September
Second half of the month means more Game Pass announcements with just a small list of additions this fortnight. With gamescom coming up at the end of the month, I wonder if there’s anything being kept in the bag? MS/XB probably also want to keep as much focus on the release of Starfield on 6 September, with Premium Edition Early Access starting on 1 September.
Even so, two of the four additions are Day One With Game Pass titles.The long anticipated asymmetrical horror game based on the infamous 70s slasher flick, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre joins the much less violent turn-based RPG, Sea of Stars. The other two additions are both library returnees. Both are also very highly rated indie games well worth a little of your time (both play for around 4 hours or so) if you missed them before.
ICYMI - Already Available
-
Quake II (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Quake II is back with a vengeance with an all-new, enhanced release of id Software’s legendary 1997 shooter on Xbox! Battle the monstrous Strogg in blistering-fast single player and co-op shooter action or take your skills to the arena with online and local multiplayer. With upgraded graphics, modern updates, cross-play functionality and so much more, there’s no time to wait – experience the enhanced Quake II on Game Pass, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC today.
Available Today - Tuesday, 15 August
-
Everspace 2 (Cloud, and Series X|S)
Already available now on PC, now coming to Series X|S and Cloud
Step into the pilot seat in this fast-paced single-player space shooter where brutal challenges stand between you and epic loot. Embark on a sci-fi adventure where massive, handcrafted areas are packed with secrets, puzzles, and perils! Level up, craft, and loot better gear to survive on the edge of space.
Coming Soon - Thursday, 17 August
-
Firewatch (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Making a return to the Game Pass library, Firewatch is a single-player, first-person mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness, where your only emotional lifeline is the person on the other end of a handheld radio. You’ll explore a wild and unknown environment, facing questions and making choices that can build or destroy the only meaningful relationship you have.
Coming Soon - Friday, 18 August
-
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Day One With Game Pass
Take on the role of one of the notorious Slaughter family, or their victims, in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, a third-person asymmetrical horror experience based on the groundbreaking and iconic 1974 horror film. Experience the mad and macabre for yourself in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
Coming Soon - Tuesday, 29 August
-
Sea of Stars (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Day One With Game Pass
Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG inspired by the classics. It tells the story of two Children of the Solstice who combine the powers of the sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic, the only force capable of fending off the monstrous creations of the evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer.
Coming Soon - Friday, 1 September
-
Starfield (Premium Edition Early Access) (PC and Series X|S)
Day One With Game Pass
Game Pass members can save up to 10% on the Starfield Premium Edition Upgrade and play up to 5-days early starting September 1 on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC. Members who upgrade their Standard Edition to the Starfield Premium Edition also receive the Shattered Space Story Expansion upon release, the Constellation Skin Pack and access to the Starfield Digital Artbook and Original Soundtrack.
Coming Soon - Tuesday, 5 September
-
Gris (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality.
Game Pass Ultimate Perks
GPU subscribers get additional Perks included with their subscription. Unfortunately, some of these are not always available to South Africans. Here are the listed Perks for this fortnight. Let us know which work or don’t if you do try and claim any of them.
Available Now - Tuesday, 15 August
-
Overwatch 2 New Heroes Starter Pack
New adventures await! This bundle includes instant access to Sojourn, Junker Queen, Kiriko, Ramattra, Lifeweaver, and our newest hero Illari. Each of these heroes will come with a Legendary skin and other in-game cosmetics. This Perk requires Overwatch 2 to use.
Coming Soon - Thursday, 17 August
-
Fallout 76 Lunchtime Bundle
Prepare to face the dangers of the Wasteland with these useful tools for survival and unlock new perks with Perk Packs. This pack includes: Perk Packs, Repair Kits, Carry Weight Boosters, Lunchboxes, and Scout’s Banners. Requires Fallout 76 base game.
Games Leaving Soon - Thursday, 31 August
Games being withdrawn from the Games Pass library at the end of August.
- Black Desert (Cloud and Console)
- Commandos 3 – HD Remaster (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Immortality (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Nuclear Throne (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Surgeon Simulator 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Tinykin (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The next Game Pass library announcement should be on Tuesday, 5 September, but maybe with the Starfield release that week, it’ll get pushed to the week after?
3 Likes
That some games are returning to Game Pass is quite encouraging. There’s been some titles I would have liked to play but didn’t get around to it, so it’s nice to know that there is a chance that the game might come back on the service again.
2 Likes
I can recommend Everspace 2. I bought it a while back while it was in early access and played it a few times and then finished it on release. It is a space sim with a very light sim interface, more arcade and a lot easier to play than full on space sims. The story is pretty good and the voice acting great. There are a ton of options for ships and how you want to play the game.
3 Likes
Tried it out last night and was infuriated by the control system, it’s just not intuitive. I haven’t tried remapping the buttons but I didn’t see the option either, just two predefined layouts neither of which made sense.
This is the same reason I was put off by the first.
3 Likes
Coming to Game Pass
5 September - 19 September
Spring has sprung and the games have ris’! Just a trio of games being added this fortnight. MS and Xbox obviously doing all they can to keep the focus of attention on their big Bethesda blockbuster for a little longer. Not to be ignored though is Lies of P, avaialble on the 19th. The retelling of the Pinocchio story, set in the Bello Epoque era, is sure to please soulslike fans.
Also note the games leaving on the 15th of the month - there’s quite a few in the list this time around.
ICYMI - Already Available
Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition (Cloud and Console)
For years you’ve battled armies and made history your story. Now it’s time to make history once more with a new breakthrough in strategy gaming – introducing Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition, now available on Xbox consoles. Includes native inputs for Xbox controller, console-specific user interface, and a new tutorial designed for first time players to help achieve easy setup and success.
Call of the Wild: The Angler (PC and Console)
Be free to fish where you choose in this unique and approachable open world fishing game. Explore the great outdoors on your own or with friends, engage in a variety of fishing activities, experiment with different baits and lures, and find the catch of a lifetime!
Humankind (Cloud and Console)
Humankind is a historical strategy game in which you’ll be combining cultures to create a civilization that’s as unique as you are. Re-craft the narrative of human history as you lead your people from the Ancient to the Modern age. How far will you push Humankind?
Available Today - Tuesday, 5 September
Gris (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Gris makes a return to the Game Pass library today! Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality.
Coming Soon - Wednesday, 6 September
Starfield (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
Day One With Game Pass
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.
Coming Soon - Thursday, 14 September
Solar Ash (Cloud, Console, and PC)
From the creators of the award-winning Hyper Light Drifter comes the high-speed and gravity-bending world of Solar Ash. Set amidst a surreal dreamscape filled with long-abandoned ruins of great civilizations past, you play as Rei, a Voidrunner determined to stop at nothing to save her planet from falling prey to the Ultravoid’s path of eternal hunger.
Coming Soon - Tuesday, 19 September
Lies of P (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Day One With Game Pass
Lies of P is a thrilling soulslike that takes the story of Pinocchio, turns it on its head, and sets it against the darkly elegant backdrop of the Belle Epoque era. You must adapt yourself and your weapons to face untold horrors, untangle the unfathomable secrets of the city’s elites and choose whether to confront predicaments with the truth or weave lies to overcome them on the journey to find yourself.
DLC & Game Updates Coming Soon
Available Now - Tuesday, 5 September
-
No Man’s Sky: Echoes Update
Meet a secret society of robotic aliens in update 4.4, Echoes! Furthering the narrative introduced in Interceptor, explore the mysteries of the Autophage, perform their rituals, learn their language, and assemble your own ceremonial staff. In deep space, confront huge outlaw dreadnoughts, sweep through their trenches and destroy vulnerable components in new tactical space combat – and much more.
-
Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island – The Quest for Guybrush
The next chapter of Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island has arrived! A plan has been devised to rescue Guybrush from his prison, but to succeed you’ll need to conquer three Legendary Trials! Play the new Tall Tale now with Xbox Game Pass.
Games Leaving Soon - Friday, 15 September
Games being withdrawn from the Games Pass library mid month.
- Amazing Cultivation Simulator (PC)
- Aragami 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Anniversary Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventure of Krypto and Ace (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Fuga: Melodies of Steel (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Metal Hellsinger (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Tainted Grail: Conquest (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Train Sim World 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The next Game Pass library announcement should be on Tuesday, 19 September.
2 Likes
Sneak addition yesterday - a return to the library for Spiritfarer but this time with its complete Farewell Edition version.
Available Today - Wednesday, 13 September
Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Spiritfarer FAREWELL EDITION is the definitive edition of the award-winning cozy management game about dying. Includes the heartwarming base game beloved by over 1 million players and three major content updates: explore an expanded world and befriend four new spirit friends! See why critics called Spiritfarer one of the Best Games of 2020.
2 Likes
So it wasn’t so much “farewell” the last time but “until we meet again”
3 Likes
Coming to Game Pass
19 September - 3 October
The second half of September is upon us, and it’s Tuesday… that can only mean that it’s Game Pass Library annoucements time again. Here’s a look at the five new titles being added to the GP libraries over the next two weeks. Four of the five are Day One releases on Game Pass.
ICYMI - Already Available
-
Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Spiritfarer FAREWELL EDITION is the definitive edition of the award-winning cozy management game about dying. Includes the heartwarming base game beloved by over 1 million players and three major content updates: explore an expanded world and befriend four new spirit friends! See why critics called Spiritfarer one of the Best Games of 2020.
Available Today - Tuesday, 19 September
-
Lies of P (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Day One With Game Pass
Lies of P is a thrilling soulslike that takes the story of Pinocchio, turns it on its head, and sets it against the darkly elegant backdrop of the Belle Epoque era. You must adapt yourself and your weapons to face untold horrors, untangle the unfathomable secrets of the city’s elites and choose whether to confront predicaments with the truth or weave lies to overcome them on the journey to find yourself.
Coming Soon - Wednesday, 20 September
-
Party Animals (Cloud and Console)
Day One With Game Pass
Fight with or against your friends in Party Animals! Choose your character from a diverse cast of adorable animals as you battle it out across multiple game modes to be the last one left standing in the ultimate competitive brawler. Paw up, grab a plunger, and get ready to party like an animal.
Coming Soon - Thursday, 21 September
-
Payday 3 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
Day One With Game Pass
Payday 3 is the explosive sequel to one of the most popular co-op shooters of the past decade. Since its release, Payday-players have been reveling in the thrill of a perfectly planned and executed heist. That’s what makes Payday a high-octane, co-op FPS experience.
Coming Soon - Friday, 29 September
-
Cocoon (Console and PC)
Day One With Game Pass
From Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer of Limbo and Inside – Cocoon takes you on an adventure across worlds within worlds. Master world-leaping mechanics to unravel a cosmic mystery.
Coming Soon - Tuesday, 03 October
-
Gotham Knights (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
Batman is dead. A new expansive, criminal underworld has swept the streets of Gotham City. It is now up to the Batman Family – Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin – to protect Gotham, bring hope to its citizens, discipline to its cops, and fear to its criminals.
-
The Lamplighter’s League (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
Day One With Game Pass
Sneak, steal, and shoot your way through a world of pulp adventure in The Lamplighters League! Globetrot across a variety of exciting locales around the world and outwit your enemies in strategic turn-based combat and, if you play your cards right, you might just save the world.
DLC & Game Updates Coming Soon
Available Now - Tuesday, 19 September
-
New League of Legends Champion: Briar, the Restrained Hunger
Get ready to dive in teeth first with League of Legends newest champion: Briar, the Restrained Hunger. After years of captivity, Briar is now on the loose and she’s ready to figure out who’s friend and who’s food. Game Pass members can instantly chow down with this new jungler and make a meal of the enemy!
Coming Soon - Friday, 22 September
-
EA Sports FC 2024: Early Access Trial
Welcome to The World’s Game. Try EA Sports FC 24 for 10 full hours starting September 22 with Game Pass Ultimate through EA Play. Members also score a Welcome Pack and save 10% on your FC 24 pre-order and other purchases of EA digital content!
Game Pass Ultimate Perks
GPU subscribers get additional Perks included with their subscription. Unfortunately, some of these are not always available to South Africans. Here are the listed Perks for this fortnight. Let us know which work or don’t if you do try and claim any of them.
-
EA Sports UFC 4 Champion Fighter Customization Bundle
Game Pass Ultimate members can unlock fearsome heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, plus, get both the Kumite Customization Pack and the Backyard Customization Pack. Claim this Bundle until October 5. -
Game Pass Ultimate members can unlock fearsome heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, plus, get both the Kumite Customization Pack and the Backyard Customization Pack. Claim this Bundle until October 5.
Make sure to add some flair to your arsenal with the Apex Legends Juiced Up Weapon Charm, available with your included EA Play membership until October 9.
Games Leaving Soon - Saturday, 30 September
Games being removed from Games Pass at the end of the month. Remember that if you want to own one of these games you should pick it up before month end to take advantage of the up to 20% discount for Game Pass subscribers.
- Beacon Pines (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Despot’s Game (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Last Call BBS (PC)
- Moonscars (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Outriders (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Prodeus (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Weird West (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The next Game Pass library announcement should be on Tuesday, 03 October.
1 Like
Pre-load for payday 3 already available, PC might barely run the game, hope it does, played PayDay 2 into the ground, so hoping I could play it.
2 Likes
It better be based on the movie!!!
2 Likes
Coming to Game Pass
3 October - 17 October
October already, and with it, the long running promise of some big titles arriving on the Game Pass libraries. The undoubted highlight of this fortnight of releases is Forza Motorsport - it arrives for Early Access on Thursday and an official release next week. When it does it’ll be exactly 6 years and 1 week since the release of Forza Motorsport 7, the last FM title. Forza fans have been simcading in Forza Horizon 4 and 5 since then. The waiting for them ends this week.
And if cars and driving aren’t your bag, all is not lost. There’s a good assortment of other games coming to Game Pass for you to slot into your gaming rotation. Here’s a look at them all.
ICYMI - Already Available
-
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, the classic courtroom adventure series that has sold millions of copies across the globe, is available now with Game Pass! Take the stand as rookie defense attorney Phoenix Wright to unravel mind-bending mysteries and prove your client’s innocence.
Available Today - Tuesday, 3 October
-
Gotham Knights (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
Batman is dead. A new expansive, criminal underworld has swept the streets of Gotham City. It is now up to the Batman Family – Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin – to protect Gotham, bring hope to its citizens, discipline to its cops, and fear to its criminals.
-
The Lamplighter’s League (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
Day One With Game Pass
Sneak, steal, and shoot your way through a world of pulp adventure in The Lamplighters League! Globetrot across a variety of exciting locales around the world and outwit your enemies in strategic turn-based combat and, if you play your cards right, you might just save the world.
Coming Soon - Wednesday, 4 October
-
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S)
Available now with PC Game Pass and making its way to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta). From the developers of the best-selling and award-winning franchise Vermintide, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a visceral 4-player co-op action game set in the hive city of Tertium. Fight together with your friends against hordes of enemies in this new Warhammer 40,000 experience.
Coming Soon - Thursday, 04 October / Tuesday, 10 October
-
Forza Motorsport (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
Day One With Game Pass
(Early Access starts 04 October, Official Release is 10 October)
Race over 500 real-world cars, including modern race cars and more than 100 cars new to Forza Motorsport. Make every lap count across 20 living environments, with fan-favorite locations and multiple track layouts to master, each featuring live on-track scoring, fully dynamic time-of-day with weather, and unique driving conditions that ensure no two laps ever look or play the same.
Coming Soon - Thursday, 12 October
-
From Space (Cloud, Console, and PC)
From Space is a solo and co-op action-shooter for squads of up to four players. Take on the challenge of liberating the earth from an alien infestation with your friends, using over-the-top weaponry in a post-apocalyptic world with awesomely stylized graphics. The apocalypse has never been so much fun!
Coming Soon - Tuesday, 17 October
-
Like A Dragon: Ishin! (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Take up the sword as Sakamoto Ryoma and venture to Kyoto to find your father’s killer, clear yourself of a framed murder, and restore your honor. In doing so, you will bring an end to the samurai era and forever change the future of Japan. Draw your blade and join the revolution in this heated historical adventure.
DLC & Game Updates Coming Soon
Available Today - Tuesday, 3 October
-
EA Sports NHL 24: Early Access Trial
EA Play and Ultimate members can experience authentic on-ice action with the EA Sports NHL 24 early access trial. Members can spend 10 hours behind the puck starting today, plus score recurring rewards like World of Chel Battle Pass multiplier boost tokens, store coins, and themed gear. -
Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island – The Lair of LeChuck
The time has come to chart a course for sunny shores where puzzles, primates, and perils await! The final chapter of Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island, ‘The Lair of LeChuck’, is available now as a free update for Sea of Thieves.
Game Pass Ultimate Perks
GPU subscribers get additional Perks included with their subscription. Unfortunately, some of these are not always available to South Africans. Here are the listed Perks for this fortnight. Let us know which work or don’t if you do try and claim any of them.
-
Minecraft Realms – Available until October 5
Get 3 months of access to Minecraft Realms Plus! Share your world, build with friends, and play across all your devices with your own personal server. -
Overwatch 2 – Available until October 10
Get instant access to six new heroes, legendary skins, and in-game cosmetics. Claim your heroes and jump into the game now!
Games Leaving Soon - Sunday, 15 October
Games being removed from Games Pass in the middle of this month. Remember that if you want to own any of these games you should purchase it before they’re removed so that you can claim the up to 20% discount for Game Pass subscribers.
- Eville (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Overwhelm (PC)
- Shenzhen I/O (PC)
- The Legend of Tianding (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Trek to Yomi (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The next Game Pass library announcement should happen on Tuesday, 17 October.
Looking forward to playing Forza!!!
2 Likes
You and me both.
@Beo, something just occurred to me, and it’s making me sad on your and your lads’ behalf. It has been there all the time from when they showed the first trailer…
Forza Motorsport (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
There’s no mention of Xbox One anywhere.
Oh snap, good spot. Sadly this is the nature of the beast eh, stay up-to-date or fall behind.
2 Likes
Any guesses as to if we’ll see any surprise Activision or Blizzard titles added to the GP libraries tomorrow? And if yes, which ones?
I reckon at least one or two will be added. Probably and early CoD title and something like Crash Bandicoot.
3 Likes
I think they should stagger the CoD releases, maybe even some older Diablo games. Releasing them all at once will just flood GamePads and I wont know what to play.
Some of the older CoDs might need some oatching to get to work so maybe start with the Modern Warfare reboots?
1 Like